Abstract
The impact of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has yet to be fully realised. The vast effect that it has had socially and economically is still being reviewed and researched. Women carry the responsibility of home and work commitments as COVID-19 has forced a new working model that has blurred these roles. Women have faced various barriers before COVID-19; however, the implications of COVID-19 for women in the workplace still need to be explored further. Working from home has been adopted globally by organisations that intend to stay operational through the pandemic. There are various advantages and disadvantages to working from home (Kaushik & Guleria, 2020); however, organisations need to consider how this new working model will impact their female employees’ work and personal roles. The views of women and other minorities have not been heard during the pandemic (Pérez-Nebra, Sklaveniti, Islam, Petrović, Pickett, Alija, Matthijs Bal, Tekeste, Vukelić, Bazana & Sanderson, 2021). It is therefore vital to find out how women in the workplace are experiencing COVID-19. The study’s primary objective was to explore the experiences of women in the workplace as a result of COVID-19. The secondary objectives included finding out how COVID-19 has changed how organisations operate, how this has impacted women’s careers, and how this change impacts work–life integration for women in the banking sector. A qualitative research approach was selected, which was exploratory in nature, and an interpretivist paradigm was used. This research made use of a case study on one of South Africa’s big five large banks with a sample of women who represent various levels of seniority. Fifteen women were interviewed using Microsoft Teams over the period of September 2021 to February 2022. The data were analysed using thematic analysis, revealing four themes and thirteen sub-themes. The first theme was the change in working model, the second theme was organisational support, the third theme covered continued career growth, and the final theme looked at work–life conflict. The main findings of the study are that women at the case organisation enjoyed the perceived flexibility they had as a result of the new remote working model,
5
they experienced increased productivity and the ability to integrate their work and personal roles. However, they did not like how working from home had led to work–life conflict which has seen work responsibilities impose on their personal roles. They have received organisational support; however, they felt that more could be done by Bank A to support them during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study contributes to the body of knowledge as it details the experiences women are having in the workplace as a result of COVID-19, and it presents a conceptual model for organisations that can assist them to provide support to female employees working remotely. Banking institutions can particularly benefit from this study, as it indicates how women in the banking sector are experiencing COVID-19 and suggests how organisations can ensure they do not isolate their female employees. Keywords: COVID-19, working from home, women, work–life conflict, work–life integration.